Valve assembly



Patented Nov. 1 2, 1940 UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE d l l vAnvE ASSEMBLY if' l` l Albert Feucht, GarieldHeights, Ohio, assigner to The Cleveland RockDrill Company, Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Appiicanon May 261, 1938, serial No. 210,135 't This invention relates broadly tofluid actuated rock drills of the percussive type, but more particularly to a valve assemblyfor controlling admission `of the motive fluid into the rock drill and supply of water to the drill steel. One object of this invention is the production of a single valve member for controlling admission of motive uid into the rock drill and supply of water to the drill steel, the supply of water being substantially concurrent with the admission of motive iiuid, thereby preventing the formation of dust resulting from dry drilling. l

Another object of this invention is the produc- 11g tion in a rock drill of .a motive uid and water I supply controlling valve member, thewater controlling valve portion being `preferably made of non-corrosive material cooperating with adequate packings for preventing water from contacting other movable parts of the rock drill. Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing reside in the specific construction and aggroupment `of the element peculiar to this structure, as will become apparent from a more complete examination of this 5 specification. f

' In the drawing: y

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view ofthe back head of a rock drill embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in a plane indicated by line 2-2 inFig. 1.

f Fig. 3 is also a longitudinal sectional View taken in a plane indicated by line 3 3 in Fig. 1, showing the upper end of a rock drill.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing Athe valve in another position. p i

AFig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, I8 representsthe cylinder of a rock drill having reciprocable therein a piston II.

the cylinder, there is a suitabley valve mechanism I2 through which motive fluid is distributed into the ends of the cylinder I8 for actuating the piston II, motive fluid being supplied to the valve mechanism I2 from the annular groove I3 of a bearing plate I4 through passages I5. Interposed between the valve mechanism I2 and the plate I4, there is the conventional rotation mechanism including a rie bar I6 projecting into the piston I I.

Secured to the cylinder I8 by bolts I1, there is a back head I8 formed with a central bore I9 which is threaded to receive a plug 28 by which the conventional water tube 2l is held in position.

This water tube extends through the machine Within the upper end of into the shank of the drill steel (not shown), and is formed with a head`22 supported by a resilient washer `23. Surrounding thiswasher, the head ,is formed with an annular groove 24, which is in constant communication with the 5 interior of the tube 2| through ports 25 and 26 provided within the plug 28.` Y l Extending transversally through the head I8, there isa bore 2'I havingthe right end thereof in Fig. 1 enlarged and threaded to receive a plug nut 28 by which a'hollow goose neck 29Kv is rotatably secured tothe head `for admitting` motive fluid into the bore 2`I.` The other end portion of the bore 2l is enlarged to form a counterbore 3l)V having pressed Within the bottom portion `thereof a bushing 3l preferably made of non-corrosive material such as brass or stainless steel. Rotatable within the bore 2l, there is a valve member 32 having a central bore 33 in communication with the goose neck 29, and a radial port 34 through which motive uid may be admitted into the annular groove I3 of vthe bearing plate I4 through a passage 34'. The valve 32 isprovided with an integral shank 35 extending through the bushing 3I and reduced in diameter to form an annular shoulder 36; Mounted on the shank 35, there isa short sleeve 3l and a ferrule 38.` 'I'he sleeve 3l, which is also made of non-corrosive material, is secured on the shank 35 `by a key` 39 for rotation within the bushing 3I, while the ferrule 38 `is attached to the shank 35 by a screw` threaded connection 46 through which limited axial movement of the throttle valve relative to the ferrule is possible as explained hereinafter. The ferrule 38 35 v is also formed with an external flange 4I, one

side ofwhich engagesthe bushing 3l, while the other side is engaged by a retaining nut 42 screwed within the bore 2l. Screwed on the exterior end of the shank 35 and acting asa check 40 nut for `the ferrule 38, there is a handle 43 through which the valve 32 may be rotated. The innermost end of the `rsleeve Y3'I and the `shoulder 36 are tapered outwardly to receive therebetween an annular V-shaped packing ring 44, while the 45.

drilled hole.

has its peripheral wall provided with a partly circular groove 46, which groove may afford communication between two passages 41 and 48 formed within the head |8. The passage 41 leads from the interior of the bushing 31 between the packing rings 44 and 45 to a threaded bore 49, while the passage 48 also leads from the interior of the bushing 31 below the passage 41, into the annular groove24.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the valve member |32 is somewhat longer than the one shown in Fig. 1, and is rotatable within a bore |21 similar to the bore 21 above referred to, which bore is also lenlarged to form a counterbore |30 having secured therein by a key |39, a

bushing |3|. The valve |32A extends through this bushing with which it is closely itted, and is also provided with a reduced shank |35 forming an annular shoulder |36, which is engaged by a retaining nut |42 screwed within the bore |21 and held against accidental rotation by a check nut 50. The bottom of the count-erbore |39 'within which the'bushing |3| is located, and the adjacent ends of this bushing are tapered inwardly to receive therebetween an annular V- shaped packing ring |44, while a similar packing ring |45 is located between the rother end wall of the bushing |3| and the adjacent end wall of the nut |42, which end walls are also tapered inwardly. In this modified construction, the throttle valve` |32 and bushing #3| are preferably madev of non-corrosive material. The shank |35 ofkthevalve |32 is formed with a tapered portion k| adapted to receive ahandle |43/ secured in position by a nut 52. The bushing'l3l which is equivalent to the bushing 3|, has the two passages 41 and 48 leading therefrom in the manner above referred. to in connection with the bushing 3|.

In the operation of the device, motive iiuid such as compressed air is admitted into the valve-bore 33 through the goose neck 29, while water is admitted into the bore 49 through any suitable conduit (not shown). With the valve 32 positioned as shown in Fig. 2, the motive iiuid conveying port' 34 is out of communication with the passages 34', and the waterfconveying passage 41 outfof communication with the passage 48, thereby preventing admission of motive iiuid and water into the machine. When the valve is positioned as shown in Fig. 4, the valve port 34 is in communication with the'passage 34 for admitting motive liuid into the groove I3, from where it' is distributed by the valve mechanism l2 into the cylinder IU for actuating the piston I In this instance, the passage 41 is in communication with the passage 48 through the valve-groove 46, thereby allowing wate'r from the bore 49 to flow into the annular groove 24 via the passage 41, the valve-groove 46V and the passage 48,. vFrom the annular groove 24, water will iiow into the tube 2| via the ports 25 and 26 of the plug 28, and from the tube into the drill steel to the bottom of the The position of the valve-groove 46 relative to the passage 41, is calculated to cause intercommunication of the passages 41 and 48 somewhat prior to the communication of the Valve-port 34 with the passage 34 as the valve 32 is rotated from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position in Fig. 4, thereby admitting water to the bit end of the drill steel somewhat prior to or at least concurrently with the operation of the rock drill.'

Due to the packing rings 44 and 45 carried by the valve for rotation therewith in iiuid tight engagement with the inner wall of the bushing 3|, water is prevented from contacting any portion of the valve other than the bushing 3| and the sleeve 31 which are made of non-corrosive material, thereby precluding the formation of rust or the like andy assuring a free rotation of the valve.

The compression of the packing rings 44 and 45 may be adjusted by loosening the handle 43 and rotating the ferrule 38 relative to the valveshank 35, thereby causing, due to the screw threaded connection 4G, the axial movement of the valve-shoulder 36 toward or away from the inner end of the ferrule, which ferrule is free to rotate but is Vmaintained against axial movement by the nut 42v and the bushing 3| engaging the flange 4|.

` In the modiiication shown in Fig. 5, the packing rings |44 and |45 are stationary within the counterbor'e |30 in iiuid tight' engagement with the valveY |32. In this instance, the compression of the'packings is adjustable by rotating the nut |42 after having first released the check nut kk5|), thereby causing axial movement of the nut toward or away from the bottom of the counterbore |3|.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order to completely set forth the invention, it is to be understood that the speciiic terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining and it is to be further understood that various rearrangements of parts land modifications of structural detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim:

A valve assembly including a housing, a nonrotatable cylindrical bushing within said housing, a cylindrical valve member rotatable within said housing extending through said bushing, water and motive fluid conveying passages within said housing the former leading through said bushing and the latter opening onsaid valve member beside said bushing, packing means on said valve member between said passages, a sleeve within said bushing secured on said valve member for 

